Sodium Chloride

* Table salt

Functions:

Sodium Chloride is more commonly known as table salt, and is used as a preservative in a number of food products, as well as in foods as a flavor additive. In cosmetics and beauty products, it is used as an oral care agent, flavoring agent, viscosity increasing agent, and is also seen as a thickener in some cases. It is also used as a binding agent and occasionally as an abrasive in scrub products, and can preserve formulas as it does in food packaging (CosmeticsInfo.org and CosmeticsCop.com). It is found as an ingredient in oral hygiene products (because of its ability to polish teeth, reduce oral odor), shampoos, fragrance, skin, hair, nail, cleansing, suntan, makeup and bath products. It can sometimes be drying or stripping, however, especially when found in hair products, including shampoos, and is known to reduce moisture in skin and hair.

Sodium Chloride is a natural organic compound found throughout the world. It FDA approved for use as an active ingredient in Over-The-Counter (OTC) drug products for the eyes at concentrations of 2 to 5%, and as a food additive. Because of the FDA's approval of Sodium Chloride and its GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) rating, the CIR has deferred its approval.

Safety Measures/Side Effects:

Sodium Chloride is considered a relatively safe ingredient, although the Cosmetics Database has given it no official rating but still considers it a low hazard. It does note that one or more animal studies showed skin irritation at moderate doses in 1972, and one or more in vitro tests on mammalian cells showed positive mutation results in 1986. The MSDS further corroborated these findings, noting Sodium Chloride as "Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation" and "Mutagenic for mammalian somatic cells. Mutagenic for bacteria and/or yeast," which may account for the in vitro test results mentioned by the Cosmetics Database. Whether ingested or applied topically, Sodium Chloride is considered safe and non-carcinogenic or toxic.

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